What a situation, what BUDDHIST can do ?
Having more than 2,600 years history, Buddhism acquired very wide-spread of diversity and its facets.
From almost purely religious belief to the way to control one’s mind-set, on top of its local variations.
Like, Pure-land sect might be its extreme and the Zen is the other.
And the Tibetan Buddhism is one of the most uniquely evolved type in its land.
Some are adopted and fused with the fashion of popular belief then, such as the Tantrism.
Still all derived from the teachings of Buddha. Which is,
how peacefully live the life of impermanent life.
[ Don’t worry regardless how the situation in THIS life is dire, there is a heaven waiting for you.]
—– is a typical religious approach, such as the Pure-land sect.
[ See only the subject which IS on front of you ( its mean, Don’t be deflected by a matter which is
irrelevant )] —– is the Zen approach.
Non
Most of the Buddhist’s site says [Be grateful to have a joy of the life and have a peaceful life ] —– how sweet !
Yet seeing too many disturbing news, too gloomy aspects of the social, political, economical situations, and
seeing loads of destructive reports ( such as in a website < Extinction. Protocol > —– which is giving
an impression [ the world is end tomorrow ] ) —– how can I keep my peace ?
Non
Facing the devastation of the world such as happened in Japan [could we still stay calm ? ]
As a Zen Buddhist, I might have made an explanation “ As a Buddhist, I gave some donation to Japanese
Disaster Fund etc, which I thought my duty, though further than that, I can’t do much as it is too far away”
—– but, wasn’t it, bought small peace of mind, then buried the head in the sand with convenient excuse ?
And making excuse “ What I can do is, transmit nice stories to make a reader to feel a joy of the life —– and
put photos of flowers and blue sky “ ( though, i’m not necessary doing this 🙂 )
Other Buddhists might have thought “ This is what the Samsara meant, this is what the life is, so, I need
to chant the Mantra more ( to go to heaven) “
—– but in reality, the situations are not such benign, nor Buddhist’s thought is simple.
Non
There could be some thoughts, from quite meta-physical view such as, we human being is facing an
awful repercussion, as we have been odd with the Dharma too long ( so-called Punishment ) to
much talked about break down of ecosystem / global natural balance, devastation of environment
—– driven by the man’s greed (Capitalism) —-> hence we are having so many freak weather, climate
change and its chain reaction etc. etc, the list of implication is endless.
———- then, what can we do, and should do as a Buddhist ?
In fact, when I faced this question on the time of Japanese disaster, I was deeply affected, or simply
depressed. —– what AM I doing here. just reading the news ?
Just an ordinary man who went there with bare hand and shifted the mud, would have done much more
good to help the situation. Or, should I keep stay calm, as if nothing happened in the world, while stop
reading the news —– and making nice lemon tea ?
Was that a kind of peace what a Buddhist should enjoy ?
Nothing other than on front of me, exists in the world ? ? ? Other than that, are all irrelevant to
the one’s life and they are the delusions ?
non
Where is the realm of one’s life — while everything are inter-connected to each other.
The air I have inhaled now could contain an oxygen atom which has been exhaled by a man in the other side
of the world a month ago, or from a plant leaf of Amazon jungle.
What actuary Dharma affecting one’s life ?
—– Or, was that only manifested as a flow of the occurrences ?
The answer seems to be, there is no fixed answer to what is right or wrong as a notion,
such as [go to disaster area and help clearing the mud] or [stay here]. They are just man’s Thinking.
As, there was no way to go there and I happened to stay here and worried about the situation
—– happened as it was, it was right = the natural flow of the Dharma. ( if it was wrong, I shall
pick up the consequence soon or later = if it’s comes, it comes ) ( In this extent, Buddhists are passive
= unless we were attacked, we don’t fight, we don’t attack —– ? ? ? Does it mean, to research defence against
tsunami is wrong ? No, the danger is already there, and soon or later it will come = preparation is a defence.
non
While after the Atomic Bomb, the ground of Hiroshima and Nagasaki started to have regrowth of
the plants, flora and fauna, and the People started to rebuilt the houses.
People couldn’t wait 25 years like Chernobyl. (Incredible though, it’s just a historical fact )
People lived there might have shorter life and some baby might have died prematurely —– still, we haven’t
found any mutant man, or super cockroach from Hiroshima or Nagasaki —– simply defective GENE has been
died and disappeared —– and survived are just lived on as normal existence.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the same bustling Cities like all another Cities in Japan now, other
than their horrendous memories. —– Life continues and the cities and towns in Japan will be recovered with
wiser adaptations in their building design.
Living far away from Japan, I’ve shed a tear or two with the emotions of powerlessness.
—– that was my deed, this is what happened. That’s it. Not my word or thinking but only the fact count.
( Regardless, what ever the theory, planning, talking, we don’t know what actually happen —— and when
it happened, we have to follow and find the measure —– only the reality, the fact and the deed count. )
There wouldn’t be any escape and in the same time, no use to dream any hypothetical
possibility or have an illusion to be a Superman. ( Unless you were born to be a Superman 😀 )
Yes, this is what the Dharma is. We have no way else but accept and follow.
___/\___
( PS : By the way, I like Bob Geldof —– He was a young man with passion as a young man is, but
don’t like Bono —– he is just a bully, who found a mechanism to satisfy his ego)
—
Aaaaaa~~~~~ !
It’s just a simple experiment. Try, say Aaaaaaa~~~~~ !
Starting low voice. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !
And somewhere in the middle. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !
Then in highest pitch. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !
Non
It’s a same Aaaa though, in its low tone it’s sound like you are shouting fed-up or expressing disgust.
In the middle, it is somewhat responding to others or communicating that you agree or you got it.
But when it sound in very high tone, it became your cry, not necessary to others, but
to yourself.
When it sound very low-frequency you must be noticed, your bottom of lung, stomach resonates.
And in high tone, it resonates to your base of the skull where your Limbic system of the
brain is situated, and the Hypo-campus, Old cortex immediately above.
Non
Whether, because when we cry we cry in hi-pitch tone (tension in the body squeeze even the throat and
the voice box, then the voice become hi-tone —-> then we were conditioned to the situation,
or more inherent program in the primitive brain system ? (genetically programmed) —-> we cry hi-tone,
—– we may not know which came first.
Still, when those primitive part of the brain resonates, we feel the chill in our spine too. —-> we feel Awe.
(I’ve wrote about this, in a post [Spiritual Sound] too)
non
When we saw a danger, we feel Fear. Feel the same but not know why or which is the cause, we feel Awe.
Hence the sound which resonates the old part of brain / limbic system, Hypo-campus
where the emotion were created, —– yet don’t know where or why it’s coming, we feel Awe.
And this induced Awe is the basis of our spirituality.
With highly trained ( highly conditioned with many on-the-spot experiences / raw experience exposes
one’s perception, hence directly connected to the emotion.
Study deals with intelligence but Conditioning involves the emotion / emotion mean, it’s induces
physiological chemical effect / hormone, brain transmitter etc ) highly studied brain can associate
intellectual information to the experience which carry emotion —-> hence pure intellectual notion can
also be associated with Awe / Spirituality.
non
It’s a bad tendency, when people talk about spirituality, they pretend to be higher than others and noble
though, everybody having the spirituality —– the resonance to receive unknown message.
To interpret it to a known category or what so ever kind is related to what the person already know.
Non
So, this is the most unlikely sample of the spiritual sound 😀
I’ve listened a live performance of this, once at the Saint Martin in the Field church and at many
churches in Germany, still this one is [impressive enough for me to shed a tear] .
Unlike acoustic sound, synthesized sound having exactly the same frequency in each tone, often even
the same wave form, hence it creates unnatural resonance, even worse, resonating with
the speaker-system in a lap-top —– some time it’s irritating to the ears. ( Don’t ask too much)
A German guy commented to this “as a German, we never attempt to do, though I like this”
it’s showed how great the original music of the Bach.
( Its abstractic sound structure can withstand any instrument or the style of play.)
( In comparison, a sound like in the Beethoven’s Pastoral, birds songs has to be played by a Piccolo
—— Romantic School Music are sound effect in a Cartoon comics, hence likely sound is the matter.)
—– while walking on the street, once I was stricken by a distant sound of this music.
Despite there was a lot of street noise or rather distorted faint sound —— quality or settings were not
the matter at all —— what there beyond the sound, was enough for me to feel a chill on my back.
The firm faith, Awe to unknown is what Spirituality mean.
___/\___
—
Chinese DESIGN
As a humble man who is wearing £6.99 shoes from Lidl shop ( in this instance, forget about a bit expensive
camera lens etc 😀 ) my only shopping pleasure is (as I don’t buy other than regular essential staff) to
find something funny products (always from China) in a pound-shop.
As a matter of fact, most of the case I don’t use them as it was expected to do —— I disassemble and use the
material or components for another purpose.
In the same time I can see the way how they designed and manufactured the product —– in
extremely cheap way ! I use a word [ Amazing ] for such products —– Amazing in certain extent, for
their pretty innovative, creative, lateral-thinking !
( Remember, Chinese was the people who invented Gun-powder, Paper, Magnetic Compass, etc. and
able to establish the viable system of Herbal-medicine, not mention the Acupuncture. )
non
In the development of human civilization, there has been numerous [ Amazing ] invention, some of them
might have come through by accident though, some are beyond the imagination, such as the way how
acupuncture was invented ! —– once after the phenomenon was noticed, there was no limit to
experiment for this point and that, and thousands of years of accumulated observation = here the each point
were established, —– For a Royal Doctor, hundreds of prisoners or poor patients must be his disposable, no
shortage of guinea-pig. Hence, thousands of systematic experiments, research could have done in ease,
untill the exact point or portion of herb and the mixed combinations were defined and established.
( I guess, millions must have died in agony when the experiment went wrong —– and this tradition is
seemingly continuing in China even today, the prisoners in death low are executed to meet the schedule of
organ transplant for the hospital and corrupt officials to make money )
But what about the very first moment to notice “ there is a certain connection between the
symptom and accidentally pieced needle “ —– ! ! ! [Amazing observation ! ]
( It might be evolved from the [Shiatsu massage] / Press the point strongly as a part of martial art —– then
“stronger the better” so that, burn a Moxa on the same point, and came to the idea “How about piercing” )
non
In comparison, I don’t think there was not much length needed to invent Gun powder as
a Taoist Doctor was an Alchemist too. ( Herbalists use all sorts of material such as even Mercury or
Arsenic etc ( the fancier the ingredient the more profitable, — such as Tiger-bone, Rhino-horn — which
carry the price of £60,000 /Kg and Sea-horse, etc) ) —– there could be a mixture of Carbon and Nitrate
made soon or later. Then put them in a bamboo pipe, it would easily make a Rocket 🙂
And as Chinese is making dried sea-weed using bamboo mat ( like Nori on Sushi ) there couldn’t be
much distance to discover the technic of Paper making.
Non
So, there seems to be a key ingredient in Chinese mind-set, —– acute keen eyes to observe,
and the millions of try and error, some are pretty inventive approach —– on the end
it would be succeeded. (But, a question is, why they couldn’t find [ Periodic Table] kind ? )
Ten years ago, Chinese products were just cheaply made crap though, these days some are nicely made
( even shiny iPhone, iPad are all made in there, anyhow there is no difficulty as most of the components
come from Japan ) they are getting the skill to make a copy and make it looks nicer — after all, the screen
of iPhone, iPad were all made by Sharp Japan, what else they need ? 😀
non
An interesting small item I found in a pound shop was an engraver to scrape a name on what ever the
surface material. ( When I saw it, I wondered how the drill tip and the small motor-shaft was connected
—– it can be useful somewhere —– purposely made shaft coupler is much more expensive )
When I opened, I discovered the most minimalistic, ultimately simplified structure !
I think, the photo can show you everything. Just one twisted wire is functioning as a spring to pressurize
and holding the batteries while connecting it to the motor.
Still it works ! —– no frill but enough for ordinary use ! —– That’s why it was £1.
To see such drastic simplification made my jaw drop. This is almost a revolution.
While maintaining its function, still able to cut the cost to such bare minimum, this way of thinking is
noting but amazing.
—– M m m, ? ? ? But in the same time, it made my spine chill. This kind of mind-set, very very
innovative cunning thinking, disregards any convention but “as long as (apparently) it works = it’s OK”
might be behind even their rapid construction of Hi-speed Train or the Cooking Oil recovered from the
sewerage —– that’s was the way how it made somebody horrendously rich.
And now their Hi-speed Train was plagued by the accident, killing many people. ( but, because of their internal
rule, the number of fatality of any accident is always 35 max, otherwise the local official will be sucked
—– therefore if the number of dead exceeds = the bodies disappear and classified as missing —– ? ? ?
but, where those 3~400 missing bodies has gone ?, it’s middle of nowhere ).
Non
To liberates the way of thinking, but in the same time, strain the mind to stay within the
morality, stay away from greed, is on the very thin blue line.
Where their thousand years proud tradition of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism has gone ?
—– Wasn’t that, their sublimated Ethos ? ? ? ——- or Mammon-ism is much stronger ?
The trouble seems to be —– they got only two choice, either connected to the Communist Party’s power
and get rich, otherwise stay poor and killed ( or even worse, suppressed and disappear).
And root of this trouble is, they have been in the [Artificial] society too long. —— Ideology
is artificial, and a policy of such as [one baby] policy was utterly artificial ( because of this,
they are facing the crisis of having twice as many old retired population than young working generation).
When facing the deadly choice of life or death = Mammon-ism is only the mean to survive. Is it ?
———– I really wonder, how long a society totally against the Dharma able to go on ?
—
PS: If anybody is wondering about the situation in China, especially around their Hi-Speed Train,
—– Please search and find the articles about ［劉志軍] and [丁書苗] in [経済観察報］or 香港 [明報] .
—
TOUCHING the VOID
Yesterday I was invited to see a dress rehearsal of an Art Performance at the Holland Park.
It was titled [ Common sounds : Touching the Void ] ( Flyer is in the end of this post )
In fact it was in the building of the former Commonwealth Institute.
The building has been closed for more than decade —– what a shame. I used to go there to see many ethnic,
cultural exhibition, art performances.
And as the building has been bought by the Design Museum, they are under the refurbishment.
It is a kind of trend to use a disused empty space, some time pretty strange place, to utilize
them for an exhibition, art events. —– naturally, the space itself was unusual, the almost
crèche “Site specific installations, performances” are the regular program.
Though, this particular space is nothing like any another space.
Under the first ever built type of column-less huge roof, it is the burst empty space —– having
a round centre stage and the surrounding multi-storey corridor —– you got to be there
to see and feel the space.
The event has been directed by Harry Ross, and designed by Helen O’Neill who is my friend though I haven’t dig
deep enough to know how they organized the event to use here yet —– may be a kind of trade secrets there 😀
—
The actual performances are the conceptual play and the dances, therefore impressive but a kind, often
described as “mind boggling” — not only the space is out of comprehension, hence we feel out
of space ( pan 🙂 ) giving a feeling of being in the time trip —– Where am I ? What’s going on ?
Then the audiences were bound together and taken to the ride —— or to the darkness of the limbo !
At there I met another photographer who introduced himself as Jim the dance photographer.
While he shoot, he moves with dancer anticipating their movements and click, no fancy angle or strange
foot works, always facing straight, very authentic —– I noticed, this guy really knows the subject, in
many years experiences —– to capture the moment of dance. (Good for the dancer’s own portfolio)
( His link =http://www.perfectlandscape.com/touching_the_void/#)
non
My photography is more to participate, or even invade the situation —– interaction with the situation.
That’s why I like to use ultra-wide or even fish-eye lens to close the core of subject.
Like the Theory of Relativity, there can not be a pure observation.
Observation itself affects the Phenomenon —– therefore, to be a part
of Phenomenon is more logical —– That’s what I think 😀
—– Believe or not, this is my understanding of the Zen Buddhism.
Once we were born, we can not exist outside of the world.
The interaction with the other existences, moment to moment,
is the life.
Otherwise, why do we need to be here in this moment ?
And why the Dharma placed us to be here and now ?
—– So that, why the art event like in the Commonwealth
Institute was happened and WHY I was there ?
This is the understanding of “What Karma meant ” and totally embrace the
situation is “What Mindfulness mean “. —– This is the Conviction to the LIFE.
Hence, this IS the ZEN. ( ZEN in action, not sitting away from the situation 😀 )
___/\___
—-
|
Pok’s ZEN
Ten days ago I received an invitation to a private view of an art exhibition from a man whom I don’t know at all.
I was quite puzzled, how come ? ? ? (since my Email address is not public)
Exhibition was a contemporary art in context of dairy practice in Zen Buddhist’s culture —- What ?
Before go down to the puzzle of Zen art, I guessed that somebody my friend who knows of my Zen blog
might have suggested him to send an Email to me.
Any how, it’s best to see a man and ask.
Non
So, I took a journey to the exhibition and met a young artist, Chong-Boon Pok.
Obviously he is a Chinese but turned out to be from Malaysia and living in here about 10 years.
And he is a kind of [native] Zen Buddhist, who doesn’t need to know what the Zen is or its
history etc, but as he was grown up in its environment he is naturally doing it.
(even unaware of why —– it’s in his subconscious)
—– As he was saying in his Press release;
“ My studio practice operates within subjects, time and space using the everyday and engages
aspects of mindfulness,self, memories, social, cultural and symbolic form. My cultural upbringing and
life experiences are often revisited, examined and evidenced in my work.
The work embraces ideas of as-it-is-ness, nothingness, the impermanent nature of things, and the
interconnectedness of objects and people, all of which are relevant to Zen Buddhist discourses of everyday.”
non
And what he is showing are — in his words;
“ Devoting attentiveness to and contemplating the everyday is central to my art practice.
The everyday that I refer to is the trivial, ordinary and inconsequential objects and activities that
people tend to take for granted such as the cutlery we use for eating, something we are so familiar
with that we are less likely to give a second thought when we encountered them. Besides
assembling everyday objects into sculptural forms and installations, part of my work involves
using food and cooking to perform and interact with people visiting my exhibition.”
non
Like a round piece in the photo above ( can be enlarged with click on the photo) it was made out of
drink-can’s pull-ring —– thousand of them. So as the other pieces, they are made out of really
ordinary objects —– but with the thousands of repeated works.
Some may think, it might have done by dreadful swet-shop like endless work or even it might have done by
the hired worker —– wrong. It was all done by the artist himself.
And some may think, it is a kind of play devoting to the God —– wrong again.
Except the first few line of the work where the artist needed to find the best adjustment, following work
all through up to the finishing line, it was done almost automatic = just the repeating movement of the fingers.
There was nothing else in his mind = so-called Mindfulness, though, in fact, there was nothing.
Hence Mind of No-Mind = the true reflection of the Nothingness of the existence.
—– in deed, those repeating work is the Buddhist’s practice = by which the one can reach to
the state of Mushin (Mind of No-Mind ).
non
But we shouldn’t forget, that the Practice is just the practice to get the state of the mind, Mushin.
Mushin itself is not a goal. It is just a state of the mind. What is the goal ? —– Life, that’s all.
But the Life without unnecessary worries or useless delusions hence without pitfall.
What else anyone needs to have ?
More than handful of gold ? Or surrounded by 100 of virgins ? —— ? ? ? What to do with those virgins ?
Do you want to be a rapist or dirty old man ? —– in fact, all those dirty idea negates the goodness or virtue of
the Mushine, since it against the Rules of the Dharma.
One’s life is to make other life happier. This is what all about the meaning of the Life.
( Running big company employing thousands of staffs and selling the products all over the world
—– in effects, supporting those who working for him, and appreciated by the people who bought the products,
in the same time, making money and able to supports his own family —– this is the Life.
(well, billions of variations there)
non
So, unmistakably, the artist, Pok succeeded in this task —– by his work in Mushin, made
the people smile and made their eyes open “ A, Ha ~ ~ ~” and making people feel Happy.
He should be rewarded by the Dharma.
Non
His exhibition [ Contemplating the Everyday ] continues until 8th July, 11am~5pm
@ Central House Building / Metropolitan University —– Near Oldgate East Station , London
(it is opposite of the Whitechapel Gallery / Habib Bank on the corner / entrance is over the Bank office)
—– < www.thegroundweshare.co.uk.blogspot.com >
It’s worthwhile to pay a visit 🙂
—–
Order in Disorder (2)
Before the Buddhism evolved into Mahayana, the followers try to understand the existences in each
definition, in order, such as described in the Abidharma Kosa, and tried to fix the rules, so that,
in effect, made the person into the orderly ideal TYPE.
Then, the Buddhists realized that there is no such things like an orderly type nor
orderly existences —– no order is the order.
Like the nature, even a Hurricane or a Tsunami are also a part of the Dharma, not mention a Death.
Try to impose an ideal TYPE or the imagined ORDER and branding anything else are evil, is
the human invention, and such thinking is nothing but the delusion.
In contrast to [see the Dharma as it is ], — [try to impose the idea over the Dharma ] is
the fundamental difference between Mahayana and Hinayana.
Accept the Dharma as it is, accept the human as human not an ideal TYPE, was
the starting point of the Mahayana Buddhism.
non
From his earliest period, Buddha’s teachings consists of the Four Noble Truth, in which
Buddha defined that the Life is suffering, getting ill and getting old then to die —– far from any
ideal TYPE of the life. —– but this was what Buddha did find.
And it took 500 years for the followers to realize what it’s really meant.
Still, if the situation of the life is confined only to this,
Buddha wouldn’t have taught his enlightened wisdom of —– how to deal with
this apparently hopeless situation.
The Buddha’s answer was, against this disorderly situation (Samsara), to live the life
in Mushin (which can be acquired through the practice) would open the way to live without
fear or negative thought, and away from any negative effect of ego and the delusion.
—– therefore lead to the peaceful Nirvana.
non
Only the rules what Buddha found was the Rule of the Karma though, as he also explained the
constantly changing nature of the Dharma (which include ourself), this Rule still having unknowable
hence, no-order again.
Yet still, strangely you might think, this uncertainty still retains the overall direction of the Karma.
(Which is the direction of the Dharma) —– situation constantly changes, occurrences seemed random,
still we pick up what the one should pick up = on the end the one goes to certain direction.
Only the matter is, to pick up right one. —– To do this, its need to have clear eyes
and absolutely calmed, exposed sensory. —– here, the Buddhist’s practice comes in.
non
To the absolutely opened eyes and the mind of no-mind = Mushin, even a minute sign of
something happening will be seen. And as the mind is open, usually an out of scope kind
of irrelevant matter (which can be crucial to one’s life) may also be seen.
Stereotype, self-imposed casting always limiting one’s perception and cause wrong thinking.
But, creative, progressive idea and the direction is over this barrier —– why you find this ? why you ?
is the indication of [ because you were assigned to do this] —– this is what the direction mean.
To the outsider, the nature / the Dharma looks No-Order though, to the open mind = Mushin, it looks no
problem —– since he could see the direction and be in contended as in the right direction. He stays calm.
Non
– – – “ Oh, C’mon, can’t you see, the World is disintegrating”
“Yes I can see, its true. But because of that, somebody has been assigned to work hard and dealing with it.
So, if he asks your help. Help him. If not, don’t interfere him, or worrying about it yourself.
If the Dharma in deed had the intention for the World to sink,
the Dharma didn’t assign him to solve the problem”
Put faith on the Dharma. 🙂
___/\___
—
PS : It may look nicer to shout against the Nuclear Power or multi-national Capitalists etc. while pretending
to be a conscience of Planet Earth though, I don’t think it is not necessary a typical Buddhist’s attitude,
unless the one was born to be a campaigner. Because, the Buddhism is not stand on the mouth but practice.
Before open the mouth, better stop wasting energy, electricity etc, stop buying bottled water, fizzy drink,
give up the car etc etc. Those practices may be in your hand but, —– ? ? ? how many people in the world
can stop the Nuke ? —– the drive to change the policy of some country to give up Nuke was not by the
campaign, but by an accident in Japan which costed hundreds of billions of money. Money speaks louder.
In emotion, everybody feel ” What a hell, Japanese government is doing (or not doing !)” though, it need to
think what an emotional shout can affect the actual policy there —– yet, on the Election, they vote to the
well-known TV characters or comedian —– ? ? ? (What’s going on there)
—
Anyhow, no-one’s conscience or emotion would give a halt to earthquake or tsunami 😀
(To the Planet Earth, it was a small wobble to release a tension (so, it was a rational adjustment. Not a
disorderly passion ) though, for us, minute human being, it was a devastating quake) we are utterly powerless.)
—– but this is what the nature / Dharma is.
non
Order in Disorder (1)
Reflecting back my own life, I myself often amazed, or even bemused,
how I’ve been coming through chancy life. I wouldn’t say I was anything casual or irresponsible,
because if there was anything due, I did my bargain in my best. But beside this, I put even more effort for
something else which is not necessary I was expected to do. —– but in the hind sight, I’m wondering
whether it was my choice or just happened to be there, and I just picked it up ?
—
When I was small, my interest was the Nature, insect or plant kind. But it was not my choice.
Soon after the war ended, Tokyo was a burnt down city, not much other than a wild field to go around and
no sports facility or game kind there. (My hobby of electronics was definitely my choice. And to get the
components, I needed to take a journey to Akihabara where ex-Korean war junk was sold — and those
mechanical-electronical components such as variable condenser, vacuum bulb’s intricate, futuristic
structure fascinated me ! )
—
For me to turn my eyes to human life and its psyche was happened when one of the (bad) boy in the
secondary school incited me to read a book of the notorious suicidal novelist, Osamu Dazai.
(so, I became bad boy too —– and became a rebel )
And to start to go to mountain other than for chasing the insects was, simply the class teacher organized an
out of school activity club and I joined it. (Since I was familiar with walking on the hill or in the woods)
And this activity continued while getting heavier and heavier even to winter rock climbing level. (Its mean,
I did this, one of the physically, mentally hardest training from 12 years to 27 years, up to 1/3rd of the year
in the mountain)
non
For me to take the subject of Industrial Sociology in my Uni’ was also a sheer coincidence.
A Professor of Industrial Sociology asked me to help his project, and I got involved deeper, that’s all.
But I personally learned from him, how to observe and analyse the man and its society.
(Visualize somebody’s life and give an insight “If I were the man in there, how do I feel
and behave”—– this approach gave me great insight, and the way to see the human life
—– instead of imposing the view or criteria of observation, not to take superficial
observation of one’s behaviour, but to see the situation from the person’s psyche and his
stance, was the crucial attitude I learned from him)
—
And while in my Uni’ I spent most of the time (well, while I was not in the mountain) in the Herbalium in
the Science dept’ despite I was studying sociology. This Makino Herbalium is one of the largest in Japan
having millions of botanical specimen and I was working there, taking photo of plant or making specimen.
It was my part-time work to pay for the Uni’ and to go to mountain or skiing.
While there, I was asked to join 3 expeditions to help botanists as a botanical photographer and an expert of
jungle walking 🙂 —– in fact for those reason I remained in my Uni’ altogether 7 years.
(with annoyance of the administrator, who shouted me “Are you still here ?” 😀 )
———- but I might have made a mistake to become a photographer 😀
( But if I were not a photographer, I didn’t come and to live here —– it was a necessary
element in the course of my life —– like a Butterfly Effect / minute change may cause
the drastic difference in the end result —– therefore, there is no regret )
( To deal with close-up photography, it is necessary to improvise or even specially design the equipments.
Working in a part of the Science Dept’, I could access the engineering machine in the Technology Dept’ and
having the knowledges of electronics lead me to design even special camera. It happened, as it happened.
—– was that natural consequence or just a lucky coincidence —– it’s a good question 🙂 )
non
Then I left Japan. And while staying in England as a photojournalist, suddenly the awkward court case was
started which I had no choice. I had to deal with the case as a Litigant in Person while learning English Law
overnight —– and I was forced to give up photographic business. Court case really consume time though,
in the other hand, if next hearing is months away —- suddenly, too much time but nothing to do.
So that, I got plenty time for reading and thinking —– about Zen. Then, suddenly “ Alas,
now I know, all through my life, I was given the hardest training to become a Zen monk”.
I’ve learned Nature. Then my scope was expanded to human existence while dealing with sociology and
working in the mountain as a voluntary keeper, seeing the people in their edge of the life. Hence, farther
into the spiritual fundamental aspects of humanity.
(but didn’t learn how to deal with funeral , so, don’t ask me to conduct a funeral 😀 )
(Since, the Court case was caused by a woman’s explotitation of my immigration status, I was quarified to decrear
” Woman is the cause of nothing but the trouble” hence I quit to deal with woman. Literally became a monk 😀 )
Non
Looks utterly chancy life ––— though, on the end, it converged into one direction.
And yet another coincidence, I happen to start this Zen blogging.
Before I left Japan, I was told by my mother who was a psychic, and while she was reading my palm line
“Since you got mission, you wouldn’t be fallen before your task was accomplished. Therefore I wouldn’t
worrying about you at all” —– I don’t know the reason why I don’t get ill (I still have no registered Doctor
while staying in this country 35 years), or in the mountain, I had falls on the rock 3 times though never
injured. And I’ve broken 3 skis but never broken any bone 😀
—– It’s hard to tell, whether all of those are just the sheer coincidences, and I was just lucky
—– or something else ? —– there seems to be no order or rational connection, everything
were just occurred, yet still, in the hind sight, there was a certain direction.
( If A hasn’t been there, encountering B wouldn’t be happened, then at the B, conveniently C
happened —– and so on, and lead to Z on the end = this is the life. )
—?— is this the hidden order ? —– Or the Dharma’s intention ?
___/\___
( To be continued to the next post 🙂 )
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Bodhi-Tree / Bodai-ju
You believe or not, this is the tree what Japanese believes as the Boddhi-Tree.
My parents believed and explained to me, “This is the tree which Buddha said to have enlightened while sitting under this tree. Therefore it got the name BODAI-Ju. Since, a flower blooms as if it is standing in a palm.”
Yes, it looks uniquely strange flower. So, I believed its story. Anyhow, I was a small boy —– no argument 🙂
non
Not only a boy, everybody in Japan believed that this is the Boddhi Tree, hence a German song composed by Franz Schubert about this particular tree and its title [Der Lindenbaum] was translated into Japanese as [ BODAI-Ju ] — of cause, in this case, the tree was a tree known as a Lime tree in the west.
—– (Strangely, this [Bodai-ju] has another name which has Ainu tribe origin [Shina-no-ki] and from its shape of the false leaf under a flower, the another name was [Hera-no-ki] —– so, the name [Bodai-ju] was only after the time when Japanese got Buddhism)
Non
When the Buddhism was brought to Japan, the India [Tenjiku] was in the another planet, even to the Chinese monks who travelled over there and studied Buddhism, it was a distance needed to take years of journey.
Hence, to read the scriptures was just a guess work, let alone to distinguish what was the historical truth or even chronological order among the jumbled scriptures.
Therefore, to have mistaken Lime tree as to the Boddhi tree was not a big crime 🙂
(I haven’t found what Chinese people were understanding about Boddhi Tree, yet. So, any Chinese reader who knows about it, please leave a comment herein after)
In comparison, we now can have amazing amount of informations and even a photo of a real Boddhi Tree ( Ficus religiosa ) while sitting in a room thousands of miles away from India —– still, we are not sure,
whether we are any wiser than a monk thousand years ago. —– yet still, the reason why we can get the same understanding of the teachings is, Buddhism is not based on the knowledges but on its practice. Like riding a bicycle —– no one can explain how to ride it, but by the practice you can get to know how by yourself.
( So, there is no problem whether it was [Boddhi tree] or [Bodai-ju] to get enlightenment 😀 )
___/\___
non
Whose LIFE is it ?
In the Buddhism, to think “ This is my Life” might be the most arrogant notion.
—– In the truth, we might be here by the will of somebody else,
Buddha or Dharma whoever over there.
Its mean we are here to fulfil his will or intention. —– in other words, on the surfice, we are
believing that “ I have chosen my direction. It was my decision” though, in fact it was given, and
we just have taken its opportunity in its occurrence. ( Remember, you didn’t chose to born —– you
have just become aware you are here —– when you were 8~10 years old 🙂 )
It was not accident. —– It was predestined direction.
Non
This is what the selflessness really mean in its deepest meanings.
( What really exists is not you, but the Dharma —– so, the words “Dharma in you” may be
misguiding —– YOU were not separate entity or counter notion from the beginning )
And this might be the real meaning to be the life to be the Bodhisattva.
The life is, not one’s life but the Life of the Dharma.
___/\___
non
TOY and ELECTRONICS
A while ago I was introduced to a guy who needs to have some helps for his electronic project.
This guy Richard has been running his shop-sign design business near the work shop of the
Open Wifi Networking people / OWN, and he was introduced me through this group.
As he wanted to expand his design to LED light sign-board, but without having enough knowledges of
electronics. ( —– good boy. I like this kind of people. Keen to study and challenge new field.)
(Any how, I myself started a hobby of electronics from scratch
without having any formal education or training)
He had started to make sign-board using a kit bought from China —– and having mountain of
problems, the power supply, heat-up, etc etc. (May be it worked in China though, this country got
much more strict Safety regulation and the customers are more fussy, and so on)
Basically, the Chinese design was rather cleverly simplified, using less components —– would work
just within the limit and under an ideal condition.
Though, the trouble of bespoke designs are, they are not always the same design, and the number
of LEDs on the board are not necessary the same number.
So, I suggested the modification and the change of the components, power supply etc etc, in fact
quite a lots of works needed to make them perfect 🙂
non
On the beginning, he tried to pay for my help. I told him “My help is free. And even if he want to pay,
he can’t afford my formal charge” “One day, if I need, I may need to ask your help”
“So, just glad to receive a help from others, and give a help when he saw if others needed”
non
——- Then, he found the Chinese toys using LEDs and showed me if they can be used to control the
electronic signal in the sign-board.
Modification or adaptation of electronic circuit is much easier than to make a tandem bicycle out of
two broken bicycles (which needs to have a lots of cutting and welding —– a messy business)
As a matter of fact, I’ve been doing many of those kind of adaptation.
A video clip of my rotating LED disco costume in Youtube was made out of a Chinese toy too.
When I saw the complicated lighting pattern of 5 LEDs in the small toy, I’ve got the idea to utilize it
(then, I made more than 10 design and the prototypes —– and one end-up as a fancy disco gadget 😀 )
If I design and make the same from scratch, by using gate ICs or a micro-controller IC, it would become
quite a size and impossible to rotates, let alone to mount it on a disco costume.
Since Chinese manufacturer designed and made it as a cheap toy, expecting to sell millions, they made
all the controlling circuit and the memory in one custom IC, everything is in a thumb nail sized board
—– so that, I’ve bought 20 of them 50 pence each 🙂 —– what a bargain 😀
Most of those ICs in the toys which execute a pre-programmed
routine is having a digital memory and its execution speed is
clocked by an internal RC clock, and its frequency is
supply voltage dependent, its mean if we change it, it could
slow down the speed.
The toys, Richard found was rapidly flashing RGB LEDs disco
pendant kind. Those electronic circuit can be modified to flash
the letters on a sign-board by adding higher current transistor,
and can have more effective speed or giving more interesting
random movement as well.
And by using much higher supply voltage, it can light up lot more number of LEDs —– the variations are
endless —– after all, they are so cheap, try this and that —– any faliuer wouldn’t cost you much.
Try to analyse and modify the circuit is a kind of game and a fun. —– and I made user friendly, ready to
use small board for him (and his assistants) to make sign-board.
—– rest of work is for him / he is the designer. I was just an adviser.
It was an interesting occasion to see a person rapidly learning and succeeding.
This is the Zen at work. (for me and for him)
Let the things to come and happen.—– In Buddhist’s view, it is not an accident.
It’s happened as it should be.
Be flexible in the brain / in the way of thinking, and to the occurence in the life,
and above all, just do what required there in its best.
Hence, I was happy and he was happy too.
The day and the life in total would be quite fruits-full. ( with a lots of fun as well 🙂 )
___/\___
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